Slow starting high speed wire drawing block



Jan. 30, 1945. v F. 6. 06 ETAL V Y 2,368,153

SLOW STARTING HIGH SPEED WIRE DRAWING BLOCK Filed Nov. 24, 1942 Z'ShBetS-Sheec 1 'F'IES. 1.

4w 541/0 4 C WWW/ a Patented Jan. 30, 1945 SLOW s'ranmc. man SPEED wm nnawmG BLOCK Frank G. Mog, Cleveland, George F. Wald, North Olmsted, and Samuel C. Whiting, Wilioughby, Ohio, assignors to The American Steel and Wire Company of New Jersey, a corporation otNew Jersey Application November 24, 1942, Serial No. 466,776

7 Claims.

In wire or rod drawing operations, the work being drawn customarily is pulled through the drawing dies by means of a rotary power-driven drawing block upon which the drawn wire or rod is wound as it is pulled through the dies, the output from the dies being determined and limited by a number of factors, one of which is the speed at which the work is drawn through the dies, which speed is determined by the acceleration of the drawing block from zero to maximum speed thereof. If this acceleration is too high, the wire will break before the block reaches its maximum speed.

In accordance with the present invention there are rovided certain improvements in the construction of the drawing block, whereby the output of the drawing operation is'very substantially increased, and the block can be operated at a. much higher speed than formerly but without danger of breaking the wire during acceleration of the block to the higher speed.

In general, it may be noted that for simplicity and economical maintenance, a jaw clutch is used in the conventional practice to start the block. But a jaw clutch starts a block almost instantly, so that therefore the maximum speed that wire can be drawn in this manner is comparatively low. Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention, to obtain a higher speed, mechanism has been developed whereby the block is brought to full speed by two successive steps as will become apparent hereinafter.

The invention will be understood more readily by the referring to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 represents a sectional elevation of the improved apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevational side view of the apparatus of Fig. 1, taken along the line 11-11 looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a part front elevation of the apparatus of Fig. 1, showing in more detail the positions taken by the clutch operating levers during the operation of the machine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings. the reference character A represeri'tt a frame on which is mounted a block B for pulling wire C through drawing dies, a die-hous ng being indicated at D. 1

customarily, the drawing block B operates at a single speed, the acceleration to this speed being sufficiently slow to avoid breaking the wire being drawn.

A drive shaft 5 is shown as carrying a beveled gear I, the shaft 5 being driven from a suitable source of power (not shown). The gear I in turn meshes with a beveled gear 9 which is mounted on a spindle H and is freely rotatable around the said spindle, so that the gear 3 is rotating continuously and independently of the spindle.

The gear 9 has a spur gear l3 mounted on it. the spur gear [3 being shown as an integral part of the beveled gear 8. Spur gear l3 meshes with a spur gear 15 mounted on a countershaft l1 and keyed to the shaft so that the gear l5 and shaft H are rotating continuously with the gears 'l and I3.

Gear l3 carries a spiral clutch member l3, while spindle II has keyed to it for vertical movement as well as rotation with the spindle, the complementary spiral clutch member 2| which is controlled bylever 24 and yoke 25. Spindle ll carries the block B and drives this block at the conventional speed of shaft 5 and gears 3 and I3 responsively to actuation of the clutch member 2| to engage it with clutch member l3, thereby driving the spindle I I at the said conventional speed. v

Spindle It also has a gear 23 keyed to it, this gear meshing with a gear 25 freely rotatable relative to the countershaft l1. Gear 25 has spiral clutch member 21 mounted on it, while a complementary spiral clutch member 29 is keyed tocountershaft IT for vertical movement thereon responsive to actuation of lever 3| and connecting yoke 33. It will be seen that gear 15 is substantially smaller than gear l3, it being in pracv tice about half the size of gear l3 with half the number of gear teeth'ashas the gear l3. Therefore, the gear l5 and countershaft H are driven at twice the number of revolutions of the gear l3 and also twicethe number of revolutions of spindle ll responsively .to engagement of the clutch members I8 and 2|.

With the spindle ll rotating, gear 23 will rotate at the same speed as the spindle, as does also the gear 25, which, however, freely rotates relative to the countershaft.

Now, when lever 3| is actuated it brings clutch members 21 and 29 into engagement, and clutch member 29 will drive the gear 25 not at its former speed, but at the speed at which the countershaft I1 is rotating. which is twice the former number of revolutions of gear 25, that being the same as spindle l I. I

Gear 23 is, in practice, about half the size of gear 25 and carrie half t e number of teeth,

l3 drives gear I! and countershaft I! at twice the number of revolutions as gear I3 is tuming, and since this doubled speed is again doubled on gear 23 upon engagement of clutch member 29 with clutch member 21, engagement of such clutch members actually causes the spindle to be rotated at four times the number of revolutions at which the gear I3 is rotating, thereby accelerating accordingly the speed of the block B.

when the spindle |l rotates thus faster, clutch member 2|, which is keyed to the spindle rotates faster than clutch member I! so that clutch member 2| disengages from clutch-member I9 until the members completely separate.

As the clutch member 2| moves to this position,

its control lever 24 moves in slot 32 in the hous- 7 2| becomes totally disengaged from clutch member ID.

This motion of the lever 24 from position 33 to position 33" is accomplished because of the curvature of the slot 32, a8 is indicated at 31, this portion 31 of slot 32 having an arcuate curvature for guiding the lever in its movement.

With clutch 2| completely disengaged from its counterpart IS, the block B is free to rotate at the accelerated speed. To stop the movement of the block, lever 3| is moved from position 33 to position 33, this lever operating in a slot 33 the upper end of which is off-set to fonn a shoulder 4| for holding the lever.

Levers 2'4 and 3| are operated manually. To initiate the operation of the block B, lever 24 is. moved from top position 33" in slot 32 to lowermost position 33, thereby engaging clutch members 2| and I9. Disengagement of this clutch during accelerated rotation of the block 3 causes a corresponding lifting of the lever 24 from the lowermost position 33 to intermediate position 33'' from which intermediate position spring 33 pulls the lever over into its to position 33.

That is to say, lever 3| is moved to engage clutch members 21 and 28, thereby accelerating rotation of the spindle ll. Responsively to this acceleration, clutch member 2| overruns clutch member |3, so that these members separate automatically. This automatic separation moves lever 24 from its lowermost (clutch-engaging) position 33 to the intermediate position 33', from which intermediate position, the spring 2!! pulls the lever into the top position 33', with attendout further separation of the clutch members 2| and i3.

When a few turns of wire have been wound on the block B, the clutch members 21 and 28. are engaged by moving lever 3| from its topmost position 38" in slot 33 to lowermost position 33 at the bottom of the slot 33. To stop the block B, lever 3| is lifted from the position 38 to position 33, thereby disengaging clutch member 29 from its counterpart 21 and breaking the driving connections to its spindle.

We claim:

1. Dual speed power-transmitting mechanism for rotating a wire drawing block, which com" shaft and operated thereby, the said driven shaft carrying the wire-drawing block, a spur gear forming a part of the said second bevel gear, and including a spirally fast clutch member continuolmly rotatable with the said gear, complemental clutch members on the driven shaft and slldably mounted relatively thereto, means for contacting the said clutch members to rotate the driven shaft and block at a speed corresponding to gear ratios between the bevel gear on the driving shaft and the said second bevel gear, a oountershaft. a second spur gear mounted on the countershaft in engagement with the said spur gear on the second bevel gear, and having a ratio relative thereto for driving the countershaft at a predetermined rate faster than the speed of rotation of the said driven shaft, a third spur gear mounted on the countershaft rotatable relative thereto and including a clutch member rotatable with the said gear, a fourth spur gear mounted on the driven shaft and having a ratio with reference to the third spur gear such that the driven shaft will be accelerated in rate a predetermined amount responsively to actuation of the gears, thereby accelerating speed of rotation of the block, a clutch member slidably mounted on the countershaft, and means for engaging the said clutch member with the clutch member on the said third spur gear, engagement of the countershaft clutch members causing an automatic disengagement of the driven shaft clutch members, thereby permitting acceleration of the speed of the driven shaft and block while the second bevel gear is rotated continuously at the speed imparted thereto bythe gear on the driving shaft.

2. Multiple speed mechanism for driving a wiredrawing block at a plurality of speeds, which comprises the combination with the wire-drawing block, of a driving shaft. relatively slow starting p d mechanism continuously driven by the driving shaft, a second shaft for rotating the block adapted to be driven directly by the starting speed mechanism, means for selectively engaging and disengaging the second shaft relative to the second speed mechanism and the said second shaft adapted to rotate the said shaft at a speed r ater than that of the second speed mechanism, and means for selectively operating the driving mechanism, the direct driving means for the second shaft being adapted to disengage the said shaft from the first speed mechanism responsively to acceleration of the speed of the second shaft incident to operation of the said driving instrumentalities.

3. Multiple speed mechanism for driving a wiredrawlng block at a plurality of speeds, comprising the, combination with the wire-drawing block, of a continuously driven power-transmitting shaft, relatively slow starting speed mechanism operated by. the driving shaft, relatively fast second speed mechanism driven by the starting speed mechanism, a shaft for rotatably mounting the block, selectively operable mechanism for driving the said second shaft from the second speed mechanism at a speed faster than the said second speed mechanism, and means for automatically rendering the first speed mechanism inoperative on the said second shaft responsively to actuation of the selectively operable driving mechanism.

4. Multiple speed mechanism for. driving a wiredrawing block at a plurality of speeds comprising.

-in combination with the wire-drawing block, of a power-transmitting shaft, a driving gear on a said shaft, a relatively slow starting speed gear constantly driven by the said driving gear, a second shaft for rotatably mounting the block,

mechanism for operating the said driving mechanism at the said greater speed, the said second shaft being automatically disengaged from the first starting speed gear responsively to operation of the driving means.

5. Multiple speed mechanism for driving a wiredrawing block at a plurality of speeds, comprisin the combination with the wire-drawing block, of a driving shaft, relatively slow starting speed gear continuously driven by the shaft, a second shaft .rotatably carrying-the block, spiral-surfaced complementary clutch members for selectively engaging and disengaging the second shaft with the starting speed gear, a countershaft,

means for continuously driving the countershaft from the starting speed gear at a speed substantially greater thanthat of the starting speed'gear, driving mechanism for drivingthe second shaft from the countershaft at a greater speed of rotation than that of the countershaft, and sec-' ond clutch mechanism for operating the said driving mechanism, the actuation of the second clutch with a resultant acceleration of the second shaft causing separation of the spirally-surfaced complementary clutch members to drive the second shaft at a speed substantially greater than that of the starting speed gear.

6. Multiple speed mechanism for driving a wiredrawing block at a plurality of speeds, which comprises the combination with the wire-drawing block, of a driving shaft, relatively slow starting speed gear constantly driven by the said driving shaft, the said starting speed gear deflning a spirally-surfaced clutch member, a second shaft,

a complementary spirally-surfaced clutch member slidably mounted on,the said shaft, the said ore shaft carrying the block, a countershaft,

means for continuously driving the countershaft from the starting speed gear at a speed substantially in excess of the said gear, power transmitting mechanism from the countershaft to the second shaft adapted, when actuated, to drive the second shaft at a speed greater than that of the countershaft, a clutch for cperably connecting the said power-transmitting mechanism tothe 1o countershaft for driving the second shaft at a speed substantially greater than that .of the countershaft, the slidably mounted clutch member on the second shaft being adapted to separate automatically from the clutch member on the first starting-speed gear, thereby enabling the second shaft to be driven at a speed greater than the starting gear, which starting gear continues to operate the countershaft. I

7. Multiple speed mechanism for driving a wiredrawing'block' at a plurality of speeds, comprising the combination with the wire-drawing block,

of a power-transmitted shaft, relatively slow starting speed mechanism continuously operated by the driving shaft, a relatively fast secondspeed mechanism including a countershaft continuously drivenby the starting speed mechanism, a second shaft for rotatably mounting the block, selectively operable mechanism for driving the said second shaft from the second speed mechanism at a speed faster than the second speed mechanism, and means for automatically rendering'the first speed mechanism inoperative on the second. speed shaft responsivelyto actuation of the selectively operable driving mechanism, whereby the said block is -drivenat a greater speed than the countershaft while the starting speed mechanism continues to drive the countershaft, the second speed mechanism bein driven by the starting speed mechanism by a train 40 of gears having a ratio such that the countershaft is driven at approximately twice the speed as the starting speed mechanism, and the selectively operable mechanism for driving the second shaft including a train of gears having a ratio such that the second shaft is driven at substantially twice the speed of the countershaft, or

. substantially four times the speed of the starting speed mechanism, responsively to actuation of the said selectively operable driving mechanism.

Y FRANK G. MOG. I GEORGE F. WALD. SAMUEL C. WHII'ING. 

